Is This Goodbye
by jazzzz
Summary: Damn Halloween, the violinist thought to himself, I'd be able to leave early if it wasn't for Halloween and my student doing a performance. SEQUEL NOW AVAILABLE!
1. Chapter 1

Kahoko examined the music sheets quickly. Bellicoso was written throughout the sheets. Her eyes raised, she looked up at her tutor.

"What's bellicoso?"

"It means aggressive."

The blue-haired violinist looked at his student briefly as he said that. Not much, mind you. Just a bit. Len Tsukimori began to take out his instrument from his blue case in order to demonstrate how it should be played as.

_Damn Halloween,_ the violinist thought to himself. _I'd be able to leave early if it wasn't for Halloween and my student doing a performance._

He used his violin to express the emotions that the song should have. The piece wasn't exactly classical, some made up piece by someone in the choreography department. He shrugged when he saw the sheet music. It wasn't the best, but it would do for his student.

Kahoko closed her eyes and began to see a heap of dark, stormy clouds. The weather definitely wasn't good, and she could feel herself getting scared as the piece became more and more aggressive and war-like.

She hugged herself tightly. _How was I going to play such a piece when I'm scared of it even though I'm just hearing it?_

Upon seeing his scared student, he stopped playing.

"I thought as much. The music scares you, doesn't it?"

She nodded, and then wanted to take it back immediately. This was an opportunity for her to hone her skills, yet she had turned it down just like that. Because the music was scary. _What a story this would make when I grow old..._

"Try playing it though."

She looked at the sheet again, and placed her violin in her usual position. She began to play, and in the first 30 seconds Len Tsukimori could already count 5 mistakes.

"How could you miss that this is semi-quavers, and not quaver notes?? And you played the third note E instead of G! Are you even paying attention, Hino?"

She looked up at him.

"I won't ever be able to make it in time, will I."

Len gave her a perplexed look.

"We'll have to try to. Come on, back to work."

|~-~|

How many times had she played the piece? Enough that she could kind of get it, she guessed. By the way Tsukimori-kun was getting agitated with her each time, she felt kind of bad. He had offered to tutor her, but all she did was mistakes and he had to tell her off each time.

She was at home this time, using a portable music stand to look at the notes while she played on the violin.

She was adamant that there should be a lesson where he couldn't shout at her. She wanted so much of these lessons with him... because she knew, that soon, Tsukimori-kun would be leaving.

She slumped her shoulders. She seemed to be doing that a lot.

"Kaho, you've got to be focussed!"

She told it mentally to herself. Focus. Forget everything else, and focus.

She glanced briefly over to her wardrobe. Her Halloween costume was there, hanging up, waiting to be worn. She hadn't spent too much on the costume, choosing instead to do things herself. She had suffered endless physical pain as she sewed her witch's hat and the long cape. She had managed to nearly stick her fingers together with the hot glue that she used to create her carry jar.

She smiled. _Halloween only comes once a year... once a year where I can go around and freely ask for treats! What would Tsukimori-kun want as a treat..._

She thought about it, and realised. _I should get this song done well! That's what he wants, right?_

She grinned to herself, and got to work.

|~-~|

Aimlessly walking after school, he had somehow bumped into a shop selling costumes for Halloween. He had never been one to celebrate Halloween – in fact, he can't even think of when he did.

Regardless, he decides to go into the shop. Maybe there would be something there he would be able to bribe Hino with so that she would play the song well.

An old lady was standing behind the counter, and her face brightened up as she saw him come into the shop.

"You're here... for... a costume...?"

He shook his head politely. He backed away from her, nearer to the door, hoping to get out as soon as possible.

"Wait... boya... you would look good... as a vampire... come..."

With unprecedented strength the old lady dragged him from the door to the other end of the shop where the racks of clothes were. He looked at them, unimpressed.

"Why a vampire?"

"Your skin... so pale... your eyes... tell the story... you would be perfect... as a vampire"

The old lady had him kind of interested in dressing up for Halloween. Just for fun, he got the clothes she had laid out for him, and went into the dressing room to try them on.

As he looked at myself in the mirror, he could kind of see what the old lady meant. This would be... kinda fun.

"You... come out..."

She dragged me from the dressing room to show her.

"Yes... you look good... you buy, no?"

He could feel himself cringing.

"I don't celebrate –"

"No matter... celebrate or not... this is all the rage... for you teenagers... maybe your girlfriend... dress with you?"

Girlfriend? What girlfriend? The first girl he could think of was Hino. Would that girl dress up for Halloween? He had a feeling it would be yes. He sighed.

"I'll take it."

She took me to the counter where he paid for the costume.

"Good luck... boya..."

He left with an odd feeling that preoccupied him, even when he went out of the shop already. Although, once he stood outside the shop for a bit, he seemed to wake up. He looked at the bag of stuff he had bought for Halloween, shrugged, and walked home.

|~-~|

"Yay! Halloween is coming tomorrow! What are you dressing up as, Tsukimori-kun?"

She probed Tsukimori-kun, who shrugged.

"You'll have to see, won't you?"

It was after their last class before Halloween. After she delivered a good performance, he had told her that they didn't need to rehearse on Halloween day precisely. They would just meet on Halloween night.

She was excited. She had looked forward to this day since she finished the pile of sweets she had gotten from last year.

"Ne, you ever celebrate Halloween, Tsukimori-kun?"

"Usually, no..."

She grew silent as her eyes widened.

"WHAT? You've never..."

"I know what it is... I've just... never done it"

She grinned at him. Didn't this make tomorrow night even more special?

"Then I'll have to treat you, hmm?"

She had added in the 'treat' as a reference to 'trick and treat'. He seemed to get it, and smiled a bit.

"Just don't trick me. I'll be relying on it."

He had left her then, saying that he had an appointment to go to. Kahoko Hino was left puzzled, wondering what in the world Tsukimori-kun had meant when he said he'd be relying on it. Did that mean he'd be relying on HER? Her head spun just thinking about it.

|~-~|

It was HALLOWEEN NIGHT! Kahoko Hino had gotten to her class's Halloween exhibit early, and had already recorded her song onto a tape that could be played over and over.

Now, to find Tsukimori-kun...

"That was a decent recording"

Kahoko Hino jumped out of her skin to see a vampire all cloaked in black, with fangs, light blue hair and golden eyes.

"Tsu-tsu-TSUKIMORI-KUN?!"

"I'm the vampire Tsukijanes"

She tried to control her giggles. What kind of name was Tsukijanes??

"Good little girls have no place around here tonight..."

|~-~|

Len Tsukimori was really getting into the hang of acting as a completely different character. Tsukijanes, the vampire, was a random name he had just made up then.

_I've got to remember that name... so that I don't ruin my alibi..._

He looked at Hino the witch, with her witches hat and dress and cape. _It suits her very well..._

"I'm the witch Hinosuke. My potions use good little girls and boys"

He tried to stifle his laughter. Halloween was turning out to be a really fun night.

|~-~|

The vampire and witch walked side by side during Seisou's Halloween festival. All the other students, dressed up, looked at them.

"The witch must've summoned the vampire", one said

"No, the vampire must be the one the witch loves", said another.

Kahoko Hino could feel her heartbeat go faster as she heard that line. She spotted Nao and Mio wearing good girl's clothes.

"I see worthy ingredients to my left. Vampire, come with me."

She walked up to Nao and Mio. She then realised that they weren't dressed as good little girls, they were zombie girls.

"I knew I left you puppets around here somewhere."

"Who says we're your puppets? We zombies operate on our own, without need for master or mistress!"

Kahoko laughed evilly.

"Whatever you say."

|~-~|

Len followed Hino (the witch Hinosuke) to the girl zombies. Their makeup looked very realistic.

"These zombies obviously already have a master. Let us go, Mistress Hinosuke."

Hino nodded to Len, who guided her away from them.

|~-~|

The rest of the hours of the Halloween festival came and went. As soon as the sun began to rise, everyone instantly started packing up and getting out of Seisou.

Kahoko and Tsukimori-kun were sitting in the seats overlooking the soccer field, staring at the beautiful moon.

"Trick or Treat, Mistress Hinosuke"

Kahoko looked at Tsukimori-kun when he said that, who looked back at her with his golden eyes. She could feel her heart once again beat faster.

"Vampire Tsukijanes... I want your treat"

|~-~|

He had thought about it all along. If Hino said trick, he'd pretend to bite her on the neck and suck her blood like a vampire would. If Hino said treat, though... he hadn't really thought about it.

As he looked at her, looking at him, he realised there was only one thing. He cupped her chin with one hand, and touched her cheek with the other.

She stayed perfectly still as his face came closer to hers, and as their lips touched, he could feel his own heartbeat racing.

He kissed her softly, lightly, and broke it.

As she looked at him, slightly dazed, he knew what his answer was. He looked at the sky, and knew that day was coming.

"A vampire cannot walk in the sun, as much as he or she wants to. While we may live in two different worlds, I will long to see you again."

He stood up, and walked away.

|~-~|

"Kaho-chan!"

Nao and Mio had already gone out of their costume, and had run off to find Kahoko. They ran to the soccer field, and eventually saw her still in her Halloween costume. They ran to the chair.

"Nao. Mio."

They saw her look at them with slightly unfocussed eyes. Mio reached out her hand.

"Come on witch, it's time for you to be out of costume, too."

|~-~|

Once back in normal wear, Kahoko thought back to those last moments with vampire Tsukijanes – no, with Tsukimori-kun.

She blushed when she recalled how she said that she wanted "his treat", and blushed even more as she realised that she didn't just imagine the kiss between them.

_A vampire cannot walk in the sun, as much as he or she wants to. While we may live in two different worlds, I will long to see you again._

"I will long to see you too, Tsukimori-kun..."

She smiled briefly. She then burst into tears, because she knew that it was his goodbye.


	2. Chapter 2

As he went away from Hino, away from the life he knew in Japan… to Tokyo Narita Airport, where he reflected upon this… he realised one crucial thing.

_I can't leave Japan._

He was so, so torn. Follow his dreams of being a professional violinist and giving up his love, or following his love and giving up his dream.

The kiss that he had impulsively given the witch Hinosuke, or Hino, had sparked some sense of possibility. _Maybe it was he that she was always longing for. _

His mind travelled back to last night, where Hino and he had been witch and vampire, prowling the grounds of the school like the night creatures they were meant to be. They had shared so much. The occasional accidental bump, their sharing of candy – he had not wanted the very sweet while she took them instantly, the talk they did with the moon shining above them.

The morning chill was cold and made him shiver. It reminded him of something.

_How cold would my life be without her… would it be like this? Would it be worse?_

Desperately seeking answers, he pulled out his mobile phone.

|~-~|

The alarm bell on the bedside table rang constantly.

"Urgh, I don't want to wake up…"

A hand reached out to stop the bell from ringing.

"Let me go back to sleep… it's a weekend…"

|~-~|

Hamai Misa had only one mission on this very chilly morning. _Stop Len from leaving._

She had seen his face when he came back in the early morning, the odd clothes that he wore, those eyes that seemed to be remembering something fond in the past.

It was shocking for her to see her son like that. He had never celebrated Halloween. No one in the family had ever celebrated it. And those eyes… so fond, so caring.

_It must be the work of Hino Kahoko. _

But this wasn't thought of meanly. For Misa, this was something she had longed to happen to Len. For him to understand the miracle and pain of what is called love. The love that she and her husband shared when they played music together. The love that she had for her son, and how it pained her to see him always cold.

_He had never had a love… until now._

And the fact that she knew he could lose it if he didn't know what he was doing.

|~-~|

"Kahoko, you have guests!"

The girl named Kahoko pretended not to hear her mother. What kind of guests would come at this time, and in this weather?

"Kahoko, it's MISA HAMAI!"

That woke her up. She jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs, puffing, to see Misa Hamai standing there.

"Tsukimori-kun! He's… he's…"

Misa Hamai nodded her understanding.

"Hurry up and change. We only have a short time to stop him."

Kahoko ran upstairs, put on the first clothes she could find that looked decent, grabbed her jacket, and ran down the stairs again.

"Let's go!"

They both hurried out to the waiting limousine, and it drove off.

|~-~|

Misa Hamai had not expected for Hino Kahoko to act as fast as she did. As soon as Kahoko had seen her, she had realised what it was, and instantly was ready.

She looked at Kahoko, who was looking through the tinted windows.

She was hesitant to ask, but she really did want to know. After all, it involved her son.

"What… happened between you and Len last night?"

|~-~|

Kahoko continued staring out of the window, however she was blushing.

She began, haltingly, to explain, still looking out of the window.

"I… I was at the Halloween celebrations with Tsukimori-kun… a-and… we…"

She gulped. _How does a girl tell a boy's mother that she and the boy kissed???_

She knew that she should look at Misa-san directly in the eyes as she said it. She turned around to look at Misa-san, who was waiting for her answer.

"He kissed me…"

And it all came flooding back.

|~-~|

Hamai Misa swears that at the moment Kahoko had told her that LEN initiated the kiss, she wanted to gape her mouth so wide, and raise her eyebrows so high… she was in shock. In more shock than she had ever been in her whole life.

"Len… did it? He... started the kiss?"

She could feel herself growing more excited by the second.

_This hadn't happened over one night. This happened over MONTHS! Len… Len LOVES her!!!!!_

|~-~|

Len Tsukimori had begun to realise this as well.

_My liking for Hino Kahoko... when did it ever start..._

He had forbidden himself to think of life being cold without Hino. After all, he had all these memories of her, didn't he? Besides, as a professional musician, he would be too busy to even think of it. Right?

He mentally told himself that he was.

But his mobile phone, which he gripped tightly with one hand, had a phone number keyed into it. Hino's number, which he had saved during Halloween as they shared their contact details. He didn't know if he would be able to call her – last night he had broke it off by saying the line about the vampire not being able to go into daylight, and how if they were in different worlds he would still want to see her.

Was that true anymore though? Would he JUST want to see her?

It was that question that was turning him crazy. He decided to follow the first action that he took.

And that was to press the call button on the phone and place it to his ear.

|~-~|

Kahoko Hino felt an odd buzzing in her jeans. She took it out of her pocket and was surprised to find that it was her mobile that was doing so.

_Who was calling... I can't recognise that number at all._

Nevertheless, she picked it up.

"Moshimoshi?"

|~-~|

He had held his breath waiting for the phone call to be received. The constant sound of the call tone – would she answer it? Wouldn't she?

He felt as if he was no longer in control of himself. He couldn't be the same, cold, aloof Tsukimori Len. Not anymore.

As she answered, the breath that he held was released in relief.

"Hino."

_Oh why couldn't I think of anything better to say than just her name?_

He mentally told himself that he should be more conversational on the phone.

|~-~|

Kahoko gasped and looked at Misa Hamai, wide eyed. _Tsukimori-kun called me. He actually CALLED me!_

Her heart was skipping in happiness. But, she knew, he could still be leaving any minute. He could've just called to say goodbye.

"Tsu-tsu... Tsukimori-kun? Where... where are you?"

Her heart pounded.

_Please don't say you're at the gate and you rang to say goodbye. Please, please!_

|~-~|

He looked around at the vast airport.

"I'm still in Tokyo Narita Airport. Please... find me before I go, Hino..."

He couldn't handle talking to her on the phone. His heartbeat went up so fast that it was making him dizzy. He was short of breath, and felt all sorts of emotions he had never felt before.

He hung up after that.

_I knew it... I couldn't do it. _

|~-~|

Kahoko's eyes widened more as she realised she was listening to a dial tone. Tsukimori-kun had left a very short message to her.

_Please... find me before I go._

She mentally told herself that she would. She WOULD find him, at all costs. Anything, for the person that she had fallen in love with.

She turned around to face the front of the car, focussing on the luxurious interior.

"He's at the airport. Driver, please hurry!"

|~-~|

Would this be the last scene he would associate with Japan? Snow falling down softly; all sorts of strange people running around him like mad, trying to go to a million different places. Him, looking around, frantically hoping in vain that the one person he wishes to see would magically appear in front of him.

_I'm not satisfied with this. It's not enough! _

"I want... I want to have a proper goodbye..."

He suddenly felt arms around him, holding onto him tightly. Warm arms that offered nothing but sanctuary and kindness. He looked to see who had hugged him, and widened his eyes in shock.

"Tsukimori-kun, you can't think that I wouldn't find you, would you?"

|~-~|

Only moments before, the limousine had pulled up at the Departure terminals of the Airport. Misa Hamai had told Kahoko that she should go and find Len – Misa would wait in the car for her.

Kahoko had protested, but Misa had made her see things the right way.

Misa wanted to say goodbye to her son... but if, everything went well – maybe she wouldn't have to.

As Kahoko had run off to find Len, Misa-san had smiled and told her to do her best.

But now, alone in the limousine, Misa-san did something she had never done before. She prayed.

|~-~|

She had found Len. And there she was, in the middle of the airport, holding onto him very tightly with everything she had.

It wasn't too hard to find him. Light blue hair in a crowd of browns, blacks and greens was very easy to spot.

As she cried in relief that he had not left yet, she could feel his fingers trailing her face. She looked up at him, teary-eyed.

"An angel brought you here to me, Kahoko..."

|~-~|

He had heard from a friend in Australia that there was a decent song that he should listen to. One day, when he had time, he listened to Guy Sebastian's song "Angels Brought Me Here", and realised his Australian friend was right.

And now, Tsukimori Len heard it clearly.

_My dreams came true  
When I found you  
I found you  
My miracle..._

_If you could see what I see  
That you're the answer to my prayers  
And if you could feel the tenderness I feel  
You would know, it would be clear  
That angels brought me here_

As she cried, he used his fingers to wipe away her tears. He knew that he would be leaving soon, but at least... at least, he had a reason to come back home.

"Is this... really goodbye?"

As she asked him that question, he pondered about it. _Was it goodbye? Was he saying goodbye to his current life?_

"No, it's not goodbye. It'll never be goodbye."

Her eyes widened. He knew that his response did not suit him, but what it did suit were his feelings at that very moment.

Tilting her chin lightly with one hand, he gave her the last kiss he would give to her for now.

_Let this kiss tell you that there'll always be more, Kahoko..._

As he broke the kiss, he fought his own instinct to kiss her more. He looked at her directly in the eyes.

"I want you to know that I will come back. I'll visit you as much as I can. And you can come and visit me. It will never be goodbye, Kahoko, because I'll always find you... and you'll always find me."


End file.
